People with agoraphobia are sometimes brought to the attention of the health system as a consequence of the panic attacks and the symptoms may be misdiagnosed as symptoms of a serious health condition such as [[myocardial infarction]].

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People with [[agoraphobia]] are sometimes brought to the attention of the health system as a consequence of the [[panic attacks]] and the symptoms may be misdiagnosed as symptoms of a serious health condition such as [[myocardial infarction]].

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The predominance of panic in the symptomatology may lead to a diagnosis of [[panic disorder]] but it is now generally thought that agoraphobia is the result of a particular avoidant response to the panic experience with consequences significant enough for it to be considered a condition in its own right. So for example DSM-IV allows for the diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and also panic disorder without agoraphobia. The comorbidity of panic disorder with agoraphobia ranges from 30% to 60%. For example in the [[National Comorbidity Study]] (Eaton et al., 1994) 50% of the panic disorder patients had comorbid agoraphobia.

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The predominance of [[panic]] in the symptomatology may lead to a diagnosis of [[panic disorder]] but it is now generally thought that agoraphobia is the result of a particular avoidant response to the panic experience with consequences significant enough for it to be considered a condition in its own right. So for example [[DSM-IV]] allows for the diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and also panic disorder without agoraphobia. The comorbidity of panic disorder with agoraphobia ranges from 30% to 60%. For example in the [[National Comorbidity Study]] (Eaton et al., 1994) 50% of the panic disorder patients had comorbid agoraphobia.

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DSM-IV also has the category of [[agoraphobia without history of panic disorder]]

Assessment of the symptoms and associated cognitions and behaviourEdit

People with agoraphobia are sometimes brought to the attention of the health system as a consequence of the panic attacks and the symptoms may be misdiagnosed as symptoms of a serious health condition such as myocardial infarction.

The predominance of panic in the symptomatology may lead to a diagnosis of panic disorder but it is now generally thought that agoraphobia is the result of a particular avoidant response to the panic experience with consequences significant enough for it to be considered a condition in its own right. So for example DSM-IV allows for the diagnosis of panic disorder with agoraphobia and also panic disorder without agoraphobia. The comorbidity of panic disorder with agoraphobia ranges from 30% to 60%. For example in the National Comorbidity Study (Eaton et al., 1994) 50% of the panic disorder patients had comorbid agoraphobia.